Certain vehicles, for example street sweeping machines, may have a pair of steering wheels, typically placed in side-by-side relation so that the opertor can sit on either side of the cab for close observation of the desired side of the vehicle as the sweeping operations proceed. Both steering wheels are mechanically linked to the wheel steering mechanism of the vehicle, so that as one steering wheel is rotated by the operator, the other steering wheel rotates with it as the road wheels are turned.
To accomplish this, a typical prior art construciton provides connection of the shaft which carries each steering wheel to a 90-degree gear box. Each of these 90-degree gear boxes are, in turn, connected by shafts to a T-box in which three shafts are rotationally interconnected, two of the shafts connecting to the 90-degree gear boxes, and a third shaft communicating with the wheel steering mechanism.
In accordance with this invention, the above prior art design is improved by a steering system that exhibits essentially the same function as that of the prior art, but which effectively permits the elimination of one of the 90-degree gear boxes. This can result in a significant reduction in the overall cost of the system, without any loss of utility or effectiveness thereof.